This invention relates generally to mounting assemblies for the exterior rear (side) view mirrors of automobiles, and, in particular, to a new and improved mounting assembly which will allow the mirror to be freely and easily pivoted about two perpendicular axes.
Automobiles, such as cars, have long been provided with exterior rear or side view mirrors. Such mirrors are almost always pivotally mounted to the side of the car, so that the angle can be adjusted to a desired position by the driver. The side view mirrors were originally adjusted by directly pivoting the mirror. However, most factory-installed side view mirrors are remotely pivoted, either manually by a lever inside the cabin of the car or electronically by operating a pair of motors which in turn pivot the mirror.
Exterior side view mirror assemblies generally include a mirror backing or mirror mount to which the mirror is mounted and a base or support to which the mirror backing is pivotally mounted. This mirror backing/base assembly is then contained in a housing. Connections similar to ball and socket joints have been used in the past to pivotally mount the mirror backing to the base. However, such connections have often employed a screw and sometimes a spring to secure the mirror backing to the base. When a screw is used, the screw can be over-tightened. Such over-tightening can crack or even break the structures which receive the screw. This will result in a loose assembly, and the mirror can wobble in the housing. This will make use of the mirror difficult and can lead to blurry images. Further, if the structures which hold the screw do not break or crack, the over-tightening of the screw can make operation of the mirror assembly difficult. If the mirror is rotated by motors, the over-tightening of the screws can impair the operation of the motor.
Typically, the components of the mirror assembly are all made of plastic. When a spring is used, the spring surrounds a boss into which the screw is threaded, and bears against a washer at the top of the screw. The use of the spring will, over time, stretch the plastic boss which it surrounds. Once the boss stretches, the image stability will decrease and the mirror will provide the user with jumpy or blurry images.